Do Non Demonination Churches Baptize Infants?

[Kenny'sID]

I like the ND church but I'm not sure if I feel 'at home' there. Perhaps I need to give it more time?

I would do that...give it more time. Something about ND's that just seem right to me, as long as they're beliefs are true to what God/Jesus teaches.

 

[Sketcher]

The non-denominational churches I have experienced do not practice infant baptism. My particular church has a child dedication, which is simply a public statement that the parents will do their best to raise their children to be Christians, and the congregation declares that they will help, and we all pray for them. We make it clear that baptism is to follow the child's own decision, whenever that time may come, to pick up their cross and follow Christ. We do baptize children and adults who have done so.

 

[Lily5]

Thanks for all the replies It's been really eye opening and I think we still have a lot to figure out.

For now, I think we will continue with going to the ND church. There is a nearby PCA church I also want to check out. I've been reading about PCA and it looks like it may be a good fit. I won't know until visiting the church a few times though.

 

[jargew]

You should go to the Catholic Church or whatever Orthodox Church your husband is a member of for baptism and all the sacraments. It sounds like your husband has already vetoed that for some reason. Does he forbid you going to your Catholic church?

You can read about how baptism from the point of view of the early Church hrer in the Didache, written at the end of the first century of the Church. The Didache - Teaching of the Twelve Apostles - Oldest Church Manual

-But the Didache, like the Bible itself, does not support infant baptism.

 

[chevyontheriver]

-But the Didache, like the Bible itself, does not support infant baptism.

The Bible actually does support the baptism of children. Acts 2:38-39 speaks of the baptismal promise being 'for you and for your children'. Acts 16:23-33 speaks of a man and his 'whole household' being baptized. Matthew 19:14 seems written for exactly this. Origen lists infant baptism as coming from the apostles themselves. The biggest early Church controversy on this was whether children should be baptized right away or whether they should wait until they were eight days old before being baptized. Oh, and Tertullian, who veered off into heresy, concluded that it is better to delay baptism basically up to shortly before death, lest one sin after being baptized. One ought to read Tertullian very carefully.

 

[Sketcher]

Oh, and Tertullian, who veered off into heresy, concluded that it is better to delay baptism basically up to shortly before death, lest one sin after being baptized. One ought to read Tertullian very carefully.

The church Augustine was raised in practiced this. Not that I endorse it.

 

[~Anastasia~]

The church Augustine was raised in practiced this. Not that I endorse it.

What church would that be, and why do you say this?

Just curious.

 

[Phil 1:21]

As someone was raised in the Catholic Church, I understand your concern. We were taught that only those who received the sacrament of baptism could go to heaven. The rest? “No soup for you!” (my apologies for the Seinfeld reference). I actually remember in grade school being taught how to perform an emergency baptism with orange juice so that if the situation arose we could save the soul of a dying infant.

But the Bible teaches that baptism requires a profession of faith. Infants are not only incapable of the mental capacity for such professions, but the physical ability to express them. For that reason, our nondenominational church does not baptize infants. Most of the mainline Protestant churches I knew felt the same way.

Now, with respect to the theology of non-baptized infants not going to heaven and the sprinkling of water (or immersion) being a prerequisite for salvation, I’ve seen folks quote biblical references both for and against it, often devoid of the understanding that God speaks to us using both literal and metaphorical language. Furthermore, nowhere did Jesus baptize infants or instruct anyone to do so.

Let’s look at Luke 24:39-43. This takes place as Jesus is hanging on the cross, crucified along with two criminlas.

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Did Jesus ask someone from the crowd to throw water on the criminal so he could be saved? No. And yet Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

What did Jesus say in Mark 10:14?

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Jesus didn’t say anything about “baptized children.” And while he laid hands on the children and blessed them, he didn’t take them down to the river and baptize them.

So I guess what I’m saying is that if not having your child baptized will cause you anguish (and that’s neither right nor wrong), then please seek out someone who will do it for you. But in the end, Jesus never taught that the sprinkling of water was a requirement for salvation.

 

[chevyontheriver]

But the Bible teaches that baptism requires a profession of faith.

Is that in Acts 16:31-33? Or maybe Lk 18:15? Or Acts 2:39?

 

[Sketcher]

What church would that be, and why do you say this?

That would be the church in North Africa. I say this because the notes in Henry Chadwick's translation of the Confessions has it. This explains why his friend, who had no regard for the church's teachings just like he did, hadn't been baptized until he fell deathly ill.

 

[chevyontheriver]

That would be the church in North Africa. I say this because the notes in Henry Chadwick's translation of the Confessions has it. This explains why his friend, who had no regard for the church's teachings just like he did, hadn't been baptized until he fell deathly ill.

Well if someone has no regard for the Church's teaching, that's not a stellar example of what the Church is teaching. Augustine was a Manichean for years, and those folks had their own wild ideas. One of them is that the initiated have to live incredibly ascetic lives while the hearers can live a more relaxed life. I think those who delayed baptism were more Manichean than Christian. The early Church only argued about whether baptism should be when you were eight days old or earlier. It was expected that baptism would not be delayed years and years but happen as soon as possible.

 

[~Anastasia~]

That would be the church in North Africa. I say this because the notes in Henry Chadwick's translation of the Confessions has it. This explains why his friend, who had no regard for the church's teachings just like he did, hadn't been baptized until he fell deathly ill.

Thanks for the reply.

I am not well-versed on heresies, beyond recognizing them (hopefully) and sometimes I have some history or names to connect with them, but I don't read "Lives of the Heretics" lol, if you get my meaning.

I know of Tertullian's folly though, in misunderstanding Christian teaching. But I had no connection to Augustine.

At any rate, I think that's neither here nor there? So I won't address it further, but thank you for your reply, and I was curious why you said that. I'll never catch up with the good stuff I want to read, so I doubt I'll have time to delve deeper into who went wrong, how, and why.

Thanks again.

 

[Sketcher]

Well if someone has no regard for the Church's teaching, that's not a stellar example of what the Church is teaching. Augustine was a Manichean for years, and those folks had their own wild ideas.

To clarify, this was in his rebellious youth, possibly before he made his declaration to his mother that he was no longer Christian. I don't think he was full-blown Manichean at that point yet.

 

[GingerBeer]

We just started going to a non denomination church.

I want to get our daughter baptized. Do non demonination churches baptize infants? He doesn't want to go to a Catholic Church (I'm Catholic) or the Orthodox Church (his family's church). I like the non denomination church, but I really want our baby to be baptized.

Why not have your daughter baptised in a Catholic church or in an Orthodox church? It would be a one time thing. Can't be that bad can it?

 

[Albion]

How many Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches or priests will baptize the family members of people who belong to a Protestant church and have no intention of switching to the Catholic or Orthodox church?

 

[GingerBeer]

How many Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches or priests will baptize the family members of people who belong to a Protestant church and have no intention of switching to the Catholic or Orthodox church?

I do not know. Some may. Besides one parent is Catholic and the other is from an Orthodox family which makes it sound like they may have feet in three camps; Catholic, Orthodox, and non-denominational.

 

[Albion]

I do not know. Some may. Besides one parent is Catholic and the other is from an Orthodox family which makes it sound like they may have feet in three camps; Catholic, Orthodox, and non-denominational.

I think a person would have to look pretty hard to find a priest willing to do such a baptism. There's that background you are referring to, but the parent has renounced it, after all.

 

[Tangible]

Have you ever considered Lutheranism? I think you'd make a great Lutheran.

(And ten points if you get the reference.)

 

[chevyontheriver]

Why not have your daughter baptised in a Catholic church or in an Orthodox church? It would be a one time thing. Can't be that bad can it?

Apparently for the husband it would be that bad. He seems to have a visceral reaction against the Orthodoxy of his youth, and it looks like it carries over to Catholicism because it is similar. But the other problem is that at least the Catholic Church would expect that the Catholic parent actually practice the Catholic faith. The husband doesn't want that to happen. So I think she doesn't have that option without displeasing her husband.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Have you ever considered Lutheranism? I think you'd make a great Lutheran.

(And ten points if you get the reference.)

For those of us who didn't 'get the reference' can you fill us in please? My mom was Lutheran but didn't convey enough for me to get it.